Hooded gas distribution valve for underground use



Sept. 13, 196 E. N. WRENSHALL HOODED GAS DISTRIBUTION VALVE FORUNDERGROUND USE ol j g inal Filed Jan. 9, 1963 INVENTOR. Edward N.Wrenshull United States Patent 3,272,224 HOODED GAS DISTRIBUTION VALVEFOR UNDERGROUND USE Edward N. Wrenshall, Ross Township, AlleghenyCounty,

Pa., assignor to Miller Printing Machinery Co., Pittsburgh, Pa., acorporation of Pennsylvania Continuation of application Ser. No.250,354, Jan. 9, 1963. This application Feb. 25, 1965, Ser. No. 435,2952 Claims. (Cl. 137-382) This invention relates to a gas distributionvalve for underground use. It relates particularly to provision forprotecting such a valve whereby to facilitate its operation and increaseits life. This application is a continuation of my copending applicationSer. No. 250,354, filed J an. 9, 1963, now abandoned.

Vast numbers of valves are used in underground gas distribution systems.Such valves may be disposed in locations under streets and sidewalks orelsewhere where they are subjected to the action of deleterioussubstances. For example, the salt or other snow melting material used onstreets and sidewalks in the winter causes the formation ofincrustations on underground gas distribution valves. Such incrustationsinterfere with operation of the valves and also contribute to theirrapid deterioration requiring replacement. When an underground gasdistribution valve which has become thus incrusted is to be operated itis often necessary to use a crowbar to knock off the incrustation aroundthe valve stem to enable turning of the valve stem. Use of the crowbarfrequencly damages the valve and still further contributes to itsdeterioration.

I have referred above to one example of conditions encountered in theinstallation and use of underground gas distribution valves. Otherconditions exist causing foreign materials to be deposited on the valvesand causing rusting and deterioration of the valves, particularly at thelocation where the valve stem projects out of the casing. Great numbersof underground gas distribution valves are in use which are subject tothe disadvantages above referred to, yet prior to my present inventionno satisfactory solution to the problem has been devised.

I provide for protecting the portion of an underground gas distributionvalve at and adjacent the end of the valve stem which projects out ofthe valve casing. I provide a hood which when in operative position ismounted on the casing and protectively covers the end of the valve stemprojecting out of the casing, the hood being removable from saidposition to permit access to the end of the valve stem projecting out ofthe casing for operation of the valve.

More specifically, I provide a gas distribution valve for undergrounduse comprising a casing having a gas passage therethrough, a valveelement movable between an operative position closing said passage andan inoperative position in which said passage is open, a stem turnablymounted in the casing with an end of the stem projecting out of thecasing, connections between the stem and the valve element for movingthe valve element between said positions upon turning of the stem, thestem being adapted to be turned by application of turning force to theend of the stem projecting out of the casing, and a hood as abovereferred to which when in operative position is mounted on the casingand protectively covers the end of the stern projecting out of thecasing, the hood being removable from said position to permit access tothe end of the stem projecting out of the casing for operation of thevalve.

The hood when in operative position is preferably sealed to the casingwhereby to confine gas leaking out past the stem. This is an especiallyimportant and valuable feature. The valve may be used in a domestic gassupply system where the gas pressure to homes is low. Fires 3,272,224Patented Sept. 13, 1966 are caused by gas leaking out past the stern ofa valve. That danger is obviated by the sealing of the hood to thecasing as the gas leaking out past the stem is confined, the hood andthe seal between the hood and the casing being of ample strength towithstand the pressure of the leaking gas. The hood may have a portionwhich when the hood is in operative position is directly opposed to aportion of the casing and sealing means may be interposed between thatportion of the hood and the opposed portion of the casing when the hoodis in operative position to seal the hood to the casing.

The casing preferably has a separate removable and replaceable memberthrough which the end of the stem projecting out of the casing extends,that member being provided with means for attachment of the hoodthereto. The hood when in operative position is attached to that memberthrough such means and thereby mounted on the casing to protectivelycover the end of the stern projecting out of the casing. The attachmentof the hood through such a separate removable and replaceable member hasan important advantage in that if in removing incrustations from thejoint between the hood and such member to enable removal of the hoodsuch member is damaged it may easily be replaced.

Theseparate removable and replaceable member desirably has screw threadsfor threaded attachment of the hood thereto and the hood is adapted tobe threadedly attached to that member and thereby mounted on the casingto protectively cover the end of the stern projecting out of the casing.'Ihus provision is made for easily and quickly removing and replacingthe hood. The threaded connection between the hood and the casing hasthe further advantage that when the hood is in operative position thethreads are interiorly disposed and not subject to rapid deteriorationas would be the case with fastening or attaching means disposedexteriorly of the hood.

The end of the valve stem projecting out of the casing may have anon-circular wrench receiving portion adaptingthe stem to be turned byapplication of a Wrench thereto. Preferably, as above indicated, thehood when in operative position is threadedly connected with the casingand protectively covers the end of the stem projecting out of thecasing. The hood is desirably provided with a non-circular wrenchreceiving portion of the same size as the non-circular wrench receivingportion of the stern adapting the hood to be turned by applicationthereto of the same wrench as is used for turning the stern. This hasthe advantage that a workman may utilize a single tool first forremoving the hood and thereafter for operating the valve.

My invention is applicable to underground gas distribution valves ofvarious designs. One type of such valve which is well adapted forapplication of my invention is disclosed in copending United Statespatent application Ser. No. 241,324, filed Nov. 30, 1962, owned by myassignee, now Patent No. 3,204,970. In that type of valve the valveelement is rectilinearly movable between an operative position closingthe gas passage and an inoperative position in which the gas passage isopen, and the valve stem is threaded into the valve element and mountedin the casing for turning movement to move the valve element between itsoperative and inoperative positions with an end of the stem projectingout of the casing, the stern being adapated to be turned by applicationof turning force to the end of the stem projecting out of the casing.The stem may have an enlargement and the casing may have an outwardlyopen chamber through which the stem passes and in which the enlargementis disposed, the chamber having an inward passage receiving the portionof the stem inwardly of the enlargement. Packing surrounds theenlargement and a thrust collar is provided which outwardly closes thechamber and absorbs the outward thrust of the enlargement when the valveelement is move-d to one of the above mentioned positions. The thr-ustcollar preferably has integral therewith a packing gland maintaining thepacking in place. Means are provided for fastening the thrust collar tothe casing, the engagement of the thrust collar with the casing limitingthe inward movement of the packing gland and thus protecting the packingagainst overcompression. I provide the thrust collar with means forattachment of a hood thereto together with a hood which when inoperative position is attached to the thrust collar through said meansand'thereby mounted on the casing to protectively cover the end of thestem projecting out of the casing, the hood being removable to permitaccess to the end of the stem projecting out of the casing for operationof the valve. I prefer to provide the thrust collar with screw threadswhereby the hood is threadedly attached thereto.

I preferably make the hood of substantially uniform exteriorcross-sectional shape for a substantial distance upwardly from thebottom of the hood so that when forein matter is cleared away from theupper part of such portion of the hood of substantially uniform exteriorcrossse-ctional shape the hood may be grasped by such upper part .andremoved through foreign matter still surrounding the portion of the hoodof substantially uniform exterior cross-sectional shape. This would notbe possible with a hood of outwardly flaring or hell shape as in orderto remove such a hood the foreign matter all the way down to the rim ofthe hood would have to be removed. Often gas distribution valves areemployed in situations where they are virtually completely covered withincrustations or other foreign matter which becomes hardened anddifficult to remove and has to be chipped away. In chipping away theforeign matter there is great danger when the valve is not protected bya hood of damaging either the stem where it enters the valve casing orthe portion of the stem to which a wrench is applied to turn the stem.By utilization of a hood of the specific shape just referred to completeprotection to the valve stem is obtained while at the same time the hoodmay be removed without removing all incrustations or other foreignmatter surrounding the lower part of the hood. This is quite importantfrom the practical standpoint as considerable time is saved whichwithout the hood would be required for the chipping away ofincrustations.

Other details, objects and advantages of the invention will becomeapparent as the following description of a present preferred embodimentthereof proceeds.

In the accompanying drawing I have illustrated a present preferredembodiment of the invention in which the figure is a cross-sectionalview axially through a gas distribution valve for underground use andalso through the-center line of the gas passage through the valve andillustrating my novel provision of a hood for protectively covering theend of the valve stem which projects out of the valve casing.

Before referring to the drawing, it will be understood that valves ofthe type above referred to form parts of an underground gas distributionsystem, such valves being employed, for example, in feeder linesextending to individual properties from a gas main. The valves may bedisposed under streets or sidewalks or in other locations where they aresubjected to the deleterious effects above referred to. The valves maybe made of various materials, the material being selected to becompatible with the use. For example, the valve shown in the drawing andhereinafter described may be made of steel and may be of the typedesigned to be joined to pipes on either side thereof by weldedconnections.

The valve casing comprises a main housing 2 through which a gas passage3 extend and having opposed inclined integral seats 4. The valve elementis shown at and is mounted for vertical movement between an operativeposition closing the gas passage 3 through tight engagement with theseats 4 as shown in the drawing and an inoperative position in which thegas passage 3 is open, the valve element 5 being raised into the neckportion 6 of the housing 2 when in inoperative position.

A bonnet '7 is applied to the housing 2, being fastened thereto by bolts8, suitable sealing means 8a being provided between the housing andbonnet as is customary in the art. The housing 2 and bonnet 7 togetherwith the thrust collar hereinafter described form the valve casing. Thebonnet has a cylindrical chamber 9 which is open outwardly and upwardlythereof.

The valve element '5 is raised and lowered by means of a stem 10 whichhas a threaded portion 11 which is threaded into the valve element 5 sothat when the stem 10 is turned in place the valve element moves axiallyof the stem. The stem 10 has an integral cylindrical enlargement 12 withflat top and bottom faces 12a and 12b respectively disposed at rightangles to the axis of the stem 10, the enlargement 12 being disposed inthe cylindrical chamber 9 of the bonnet 7. The downward thrust of theenlargement 12 when the valve element 5 is being moved upwardly is takenby the portion 13 of the bonnet having a flat upper face through a flatthrust washer 14. The bonnet has an inward passage 15 receiving theportion of the stem inwardly of the enlargement 12.

Packing 16 which may be of any suitable type but is preferably preformedto predetermined dimensions is disposed about the enlargement 12 of thestem 10 within the chamber 9 and at its bottom seats on a ledge 17 nearthe bottom of the chamber. A thrust collar 18 is applied to the bonnet 7and fastened in place by bolts 19. The thrust collar =18 has a fiatannular downwardly facing abutment portion 18a which through a flatthrust washer 20 absorbs the upward thrust of the enlargement 12 whenthe valve element 5 is being moved downwardly from inoperative tooperative position in the housing 2 and seated against the opposed valveseats 4 to close the gas passage 3. The thrust collar 18 is sealed tothe bonnet 7 by gasket 33.

Integral with the thrust collar 18 is an annular packing gland 21 whichenters the chamber 9 and surrounds the outer end of the enlargement 12,fitting between the outer end of the enlargement and the outer end ofthe chamber, and engages the outer face :22 of the packing 16. Sincedownward movement of the combination thrust collar and packing gland ispositively limited by the honnet 7 the distance to which the packinggland 21 may enter the annular space between the outer periphery of theupper portion of the enlargement 12 and the inner periphery of the upperportion of the chamber 9 is positively limited so that it is impossibleto impose on the packing 16 any pressure in excess of the designpressure.

The outer extremity 23 of the end of the stem projecting out of thecasing is of non-circular cross section and has applied thereto anexteriorly non-circular wrench receiving portion or hub 24 held in placeby a nut 25. Thus the non-circular wrench receiving portion or hub 24 isoperatively integral with the stem 10. A wrench receiving portion 24 ofthe stem 10 adapting the turn the stem 10 to move the valve element 5.

The thrust collar 18 is threaded at its outer periphery as shown at 26.A hood 27 is provided which is of generally bell shape as shown with askirt portion 28 and a non-circular wrench receiving top portion 29, thelower extremity of the skirt portion 28 of the hood 27 being interiorlythreaded as shown at 30 so that the hood may be screwed onto the thrustcollar 18 as shown in the drawing. The non-circular wrench receivingportion 29 of the hood 27 is of the same size as the non-circular wrenchreceiving portion 24 of the stem 10 adapting the hood 27 to be turned byapplication thereto of the same wrench as is used for turning the stem10.

As above indicated an important advantage is derived from the attachmentof the hood to a separate removable and replaceable member such as thethrust collar 18. In

case of damage to the threads 26 the thrust collar may be replaced witha new one without having to replace any other portion of the valve. Thethreads are interiorly disposed when the hood 27 is in place as shown inthe drawings so that they are protected against damage while the hood isin place. The hood completely protects the end of the stern projectingout of the casing and inhibits formation of incrustations thereon and atthe place where the stem enters the casing, which incrustations ifallowed to form prevent or hinder operation of the valve and have to 'bechipped away. Such chipping away has the twofold disadvantage ofincreasing labor cost with the attendant possibility or even likelihoodof damage to the valve stem which might result in having to disassemblethe entire valve for servicing and/ or replacement of parts.

The hood has an inwardly projecting annular flange 31 which as shown inthe drawing is flat on the bottom and is directly opposed to the uppersurface of the thrust collar 18 adjacent the periphery of the thrustcollar. A gasket 32 is interposed between the upper surface of thethrust collar and flange 31 of the hood and seals the hood to the casingas above described. The seal is made as tight as desired by screwing thehood down onto the thrust collar by applying a long handled wrench tothe portion 29 of the hood. By reason of the gaskets 32 and 33 there isno way for foreign matter to infiltrate the valve.

The hood is shown as being of substantially uniform exteriorcross-sectional shape for a substantial distance upwardly from thebottom of the hood for the reason above described. With the hood thusshaped when incrustations or other foreign matter is cleared away fromthe upper part of the portion of the hood of substantially uniformexterior cross-sectional shape the hood may be grasped by such upperpart and removed through foreign matter still surrounding that portionof the hood.

While I have shown and described a present preferred embodiment of theinvention it is to be distinctly understood that the invention is notlimited thereto but may be otherwise variously embodied within the scopeof the following claims.

I claim:

1. A valve for underground use comprising a casing having a passagetherethrough, a valve element movable between an operative positionclosing said passage and an inoperative position in which said passageis open, a stem turnably mounted in the casing with an end of the stemprojecting out of the casing, connections between the stern and thevalve element for moving the valve element between said positions uponturning of the stem, means for turning the stem through application ofturning force to the end of the stem projecting out of the casing, thecasing having fastened thereto in fixed position relatively thereto aseparate member through which the end of the stem projecting out of thecasing extends, means removably fastening said member to the casing,said mem ber being sealed to the casing, said means being protectedagainst ingress of moisture from the outside between said member and thecasing by the means sealing said member to the casing, said member beingprovided with means for attachment of a hood thereto, and a hood havingmeans whereby when the hood is in operative position it is attached tosaid member through said means, the hood also having means whereby whenit is in operative position it is sealed to said member whereby the hoodis mounted on the casing and protectively covers the end of the stemprojecting out of the casing, the hood being removable from saidposition to permit access to the end of the stem projecting out of thecasing for operation of the valve.

2. A valve for underground use comprising a casing having a passagetherethrough, a valve element movable between an operative positionclosing said passage and an inoperative position in which said passageis open, a stem turnably mounted in the casing with an end of the stemprojecting out of the casing, connections between the stem and the valveelement for moving the valve element between said positions upon turningof the stem, means for turning the stem through application of turningforce to the end of the stem projecting out of the casing, the casinghaving fastened thereto in fixed position relatively thereto a separatemember through which the end of the stem projecting out of the casingextends, a gasket interposed between said member and the casing sealingsaid member to the casing, bolts removably fastening said member to thecasing, the bolts passing through the gasket and being protected by thegasket against ingress of moisture from the outside between said memberand the casing, said member being provided with means for attachment ofa hood thereto, and a hood having means whereby when the hood is inoperative position it is attached to said member through said means, thehood also having means whereby when it is in operative position it issealed to said member whereby the hood is mounted on the casing andprotectively covers the end of the stem projecting out of the casing,the hood being removable from said position to permit access to the endof the stem projecting out of the casing for operation of the valve.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,311,115 7/1919Fischer 137-382 1,406,060 2/1922 Mueller 137382 2,342,276 2/1944Hehemann 252266 X 2,757,897 8/1956 Cline 251266 FOREIGN PATENTS 149,8038/ 1920 Great Britain. 270,925 12/1950 Switzerland.

M. CARY NELSON, Primary Examiner.

H. KLI-NKSIEK, Assistant Examiner. v

1. A VALVE FOR UNDERGROUND USE COMPRISING A CASING HAVING A PASSAGETHERETHROUGH, A VALVE ELEMENT MOVABLE BETWEEN AN OPERATIVE POSITIONCLOSING SAID PASSAGE AND AN INOPERATIVE POSITION IN WHICH SAID PASSAGEIS OPEN, A STEM TURNABLY MOUNTED IN THE CASING WITH AN END OF THE STEMPROJECTING OUT OF THE CASING WITH AN END OF THE THE STEM AND THE VALVEELEMENT FOR MOVING THE VALVE ELEMENT BETWEEN SAID POSITIONS UPON TURNINGOF THE STEM, MEANS FOR TURNING THE STEM THROUGH APPLICATION OF TURNINGFORCE TO THE END OF THE STEM PROJECTING OUT THE OF CASING, THE CASINGHAVING FASTENED THERETO IN FIXED POSITION RELATIVELY THERETO A SEPARATEMEMBER THROUGH WHICH THE END OF THE STEM PROJECTING OUT THE CASINGEXTENDS, MEANS REMOVABLY FASTENING SAID MEMBER TO THE CASING, SAIDMEMBER BEING SEALED TO THE CASING, SAID MEANS BEING PROTECTED AGAINSTINGRESS OF MOISTURE FROM THE OUTSIDE BETWEEN SAID MEMBER AND THE CASINGBY THE MEANS SEALING SAID MEMBER TO THE CASING, SAID MEMBER BEINGPOVIDED WITH MEANS FOR ATTACHED TO SAID MEMBER THROUGH SAID MEANS, THEMEANS WHEREBY WHEN THE HOOD IS IN OPERATIVE POSITION IT IS ATTACHMENT TOSAID MEMBER THROUGH SAID MEANS, THE HOOD ALSO HAVING MEANS WHEREBY WHENIT IS IN OPERATIVE POSITION IT IS SEALED TO SAID MEMBER WHEREBY THE HOODIS MOUNTED ON THE CASING AND PROTECTIVELY COVERS THE END OF THE STEMPROJECTING OUT OF THE CASING, THE HOOD BEING REMOVABLE FROM SAIDPOSITION TO PERMIT ACCESS TO THE END OF THE STEM PROJECTING OUT THECASING FOR OPERATION OF THE VALVE.